A special birthday gift for Sam

Tot's family raising money for the hospital that helped him.

Samuel Fox, 2, who will be turning 3 on Feb. 25. He and his family are raising money for the Children s Hospital of Philadelphia.
(THE EVENING SUN SUBMITTED )

In honor of their son's third birthday, a New Oxford family is raising money, and awareness, for research on the rare condition that almost took his life at birth.

Sam Fox, who will turn 3 on Feb. 25, was born with a left side congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) - a condition in which there is a hole in the diaphragm, allowing abdominal organs to fill the chest cavity and causing restricted or no lung growth.

It is rare, affecting about 1 in every 2,500 babies, according to The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia's website.

His parents, Ryan and Megan Fox received the diagnosis during an ultrasound when Megan was 20 weeks pregnant. Local doctors told the couple to go to specialists at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Doctors at the hospital confirmed the diagnosis and prepared for Sam's birth and treatment.

The couple were told the condition has a 50-percent survival rate. But they refused to go home from the hospital with an empty car seat. Sam beat the odds and now has a patch attached inside his abdominal cavity that acts as a diaphragm. As he grows, the patch will grow with him, his mother said.

His parents are "paying it forward" by raising money and awareness to help other families of children diagnosed with CDH. The family is hoping to raise $3,000.

So far, the family has raised $1,875, according to the donation website. This does include donation checks that may be coming in by mail, his mother said.

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The family also held a fundraiser two years ago, in honor of Sam's first birthday - a huge milestone for the child who had a 50-percent of survival. The family received more than $2,000 in online and mailed donations for the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

The family is fortunate that Sam has had no issues and is living a normal life as a 2-year-old, Sam's mother said. He likes Spiderman, bugs, and enjoys playing with his younger brother, Bennett, who just turned 1 year old.

Sam is "happy, energetic and full of life," his mother said.

And to show their thanks for Sam's healthy life, the Fox family will continue to give back whatever way they can, Sam's mother said.

sweaver@eveningsun.com; 717-637-3736, ext. 151; Twitter: @weave90

To donate

Donations can be made with a credit card online by going to www.giving.chop.edu/goto/Samuel.fox.

Donations by check can be mailed to

The Children's Hospital Foundation

Lockbox #1352

P.O. Box 8500

Philadelphia, PA 19178-1352

Make checks payable to The Children's Foundation, noting Samuel Fox with CDH research on the memo line